Hayat Ben-ayad hopes her study on cold-water corals will inspire more women to join the STEM community
Casablanca, Morocco – “My background is in geomatics which is the discipline of gathering, processing and presenting geographic data, but I am particularly interested in ocean mapping” says Ms Hayat Ben-ayad, a 25-year-old Master’s Degree student at the Faculty of Sciences at the Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco.
“For two years, I have been studying the occurrence and ecology of cold-water coral reefs off northwest Africa”, she says, and adds that she is using data collected by the EAF-Nansen Programme’s research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen.
In 2021, Hayat joined the EAF-Nansen Programme’s studentship programme, to learn how to use Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze data in support of management decisions and marine spatial planning. Marine spatial planning can help different users of the ocean to make decisions on how to use its resources sustainably, without damaging the ecosystems, Hayat explains.
Today, women are underrepresented in education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and there is a gender gap in digital access that keeps women from participating in tech design and governance according to UN Women.
“According to available statistics, there is a gender gap in the marine science sector, which might be because women often have more social roles compared to men that makes it difficult for them to pursue this type of career,” Hayat says when asked about her thoughts on the disparities in the representation of women in her field. “When my paper on Lophelia pertusa, a specific cold-water coral found in waters off northwest Africa, is finally published and presented at national and international conferences, I hope it will inspire more women to join the STEM community!”
The EAF-Nansen Programme recognizes the need to boost gender equality by strengthening human and institutional capacities in partner countries. Since 2017, over 900 women from more than 30 countries have joined surveys aboard the state-of-the-art research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, participated in the student and mentorship programmes and/or the various training courses offered by the programme.
“I am so grateful for this experience and for the support from the supervisors at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR), and the Moroccan Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH). They have taught me so much about the GIS technology, and expanded my knowledge about marine biology and oceanography,” she concludes.
“Providing training and experience in marine research techniques is an important part of our work in the EAF-Nansen Programme, and we are truly pleased with the possibilities of the studentship programme,” says Ms Merete Tandstad, EAF-Nansen Programme Coordinator. “Not only is it helping students obtain higher academic qualifications, but it is also empowering women with modern tools that allow them to create their own opportunities”.
The EAF-Nansen Programme is a longstanding partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Norway, dating back to 1975. It is executed by FAO in close collaboration IMR, and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
In collaboration with 32 countries across Africa and the Bay of Bengal, the Programme is improving fisheries policies and management practices in line with the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF), and developing the capacity of fisheries institutions to ensure sustainable fisheries management.
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